Jordan

The International Republican Institute’s (IRI) current program in Jordan seeks to overcome political apathy by encouraging citizen participation in the local decision-making process and by developing the political and advocacy skills of emerging community leaders. By identifying and addressing citizen priorities, emerging community leaders being nurtured through the IRI program are developing the political skills that will enable them to run for office at the national, regional, and municipal level.

Political Party and Candidate Development

In advance of municipal elections expected to be held in 2007, IRI has trained men and women throughout the Kingdom on how to build a successful campaign organization, basic campaigning techniques and developing an effective campaign message.

In September 2006, IRI opened satellite offices in northern and southern Jordan to facilitate candidate training and town hall meetings in each region of the country in anticipation of coming municipal elections.

IRI has also engaged national party leaders to help them develop and revise party platforms to make them more reflective of issues of concern to citizens. Using recent polling data, IRI has conducted consultations with party leadership focused on crafting effective messages that address the real-life concerns of Jordanians and that will resonate with voters and attract new members.

Governance

In Jordan, IRI has trained municipal officials in the cities of Salt, Karak, and Tafileh on how to improve services for citizens by using data from public opinion surveys; facilitated direct information exchanges between reform-minded mayors of municipalities; and assisted a new initiative to organize women leaders from the Tafileh governorate in southern Jordan in cooperation with the only woman mayor in Jordan, Mayor Ranah Hijayah.

Women's Programs

Complementing the women's program in Tafileh, IRI, with the assistance of a Jordanian consultant, launched a program in late 2005 to conduct issue-based campaign training for women's committees in two municipalities: Kraimeh in the North Jordan Valley and Ajloun in northern Jordan. IRI has worked with the women in both communities to identify local issues and ways to approach the local and national government to enlist their assistance in solving community problems.

Public Opinion Research

In order to support IRI initiatives with civic organizations and local government, IRI and two partner organizations are conducting survey research at the national and municipal levels to provide decision-makers and the general public with an accurate picture of public opinion concerning political reform, democratization and the performance of elected officials.

Three national polls, Democratic Transformation and Political Reform in Jordan, were released in September and December 2005, and June 2006, respectively. Topics included: the most important issues and priorities facing Jordan today; perceptions of the best way to govern society; trust in national institutions; perceptions of justice and procedural fairness; levels of support for various electoral models; attitudes towards the Parliament, municipal elections and political tendencies; and the degree to which citizens are informed about the government’s National Agenda reform program.

In November 2005, the first of two municipal polls was conducted. The poll, Local Governance in Jordan: A Municipal Public Opinion Poll of Citizens in Salt, Zarqa and Tafileh, was the first ever municipal poll published in Jordan. IRI's second municipal poll, conducted in the cities of Irbid, Madaba and Karak, was released on February 21, 2006.

Next Steps

In the run-up to municipal council elections in 2007, IRI will continue to focus on candidate assistance and training. Municipal polling will be used to help candidates develop electoral platforms which reflect citizen concerns at the grass-roots level. During this period, IRI will continue polling at the national and municipal level to help political parties and members of parliament develop platforms and programs which are responsive to the priorities of key segments of Jordanian society. IRI partnerships with Jordanian civil society will also continue to target women with the goal of increasing their involvement in advocacy efforts.

With its unique geopolitical position and its strategic importance as a key U.S. ally, Jordan has long been considered a linchpin for stability in the Middle East. Jordan's moves toward political liberalization and its desire to cast itself as a regional model of liberal governance have further heightened its importance and garnered even more regional and international attention.

Beginning in 1989 with the first competitive national elections in the country, the late King Hussein led Jordan down the path towards enhanced political participation. Since that time, the government's pursuit of reform has been an uneasy alternation between relaxing and tightening control of the Parliament, political parties and the press. Still, Jordan has witnessed the legalization of political parties and four multiparty parliamentary elections conducted free from violence.

When King Abdullah II ascended to the throne in 1999, he set forth an agenda for political reform and has committed himself to ushering in a new era of broader political participation. A National Agenda Committee was formed in February 2005 to set guidelines for political, economic, and social reform in Jordan over the next 10 years. Also in early 2005, the King formed a Royal Commission on the Regions tasked with devising a plan for decentralization of the country's political system.

As the King himself has stated, for any resulting reforms to be successful, Jordanians must have the right to determine how their communities are run by getting more involved in decision-making at the local level. Until now the political reform process has been entirely top-down with little citizen input. Political reforms could lead to a more open and inclusive political system and devolution of power from Jordan's highly-centralized government bureaucracy to local communities.

Political Overview

Chief of State: King Abdullah II

Type of Government: constitutional monarchy

Suffrage: universal, age 18

Elections Calendar

Program Overview

Focus of Program: strengthening political participation

Funding Source: U.S. Agency for International Development